About Our Blog:

Follow along with our team of quilters as we show off our new projects, discuss new and exciting techniques, talk about new fabric collections, and share news about the latest and greatest happenings here at Connecting Threads.

The pattern has easy-to-follow instructions and is complete, down to a sample quilt label for the back. Full-sized templates for the applique are included but you will need to tape the large duck template together. There are detailed instructions for the designer’s favorite applique method–Needle-turn using freezer paper–but I chose to use fusible applique which made this a quick and easy project suitable for any skill level. You could easily complete this in a weekend so it is a great choice for a last minute baby gift.

One thing I want to mention is that the stated amount for the backing is 1 yard which is exactly the same as the top. If you are sending this out to a quilter, or are used to having a little more ‘wiggle room’ for layering your quilt, you will want to buy more yardage for the back. As it was, I just lined it up the best I could while layering and then trimmed and squared everything up after quilting.

The pattern states, “This project can be a fun place to play, and practice the quilting designs that you always wanted to try.” I took this to heart and tried quilting it myself which is way out of my comfort zone. (The most I’d done before this was stitch-in-the-ditch.) I wanted the finished quilt to be a little bit ‘poofy’ so I chose polyester batting which probably made quilting it a bit more challenging. For my design, I taped Golden Threads Quilting Paper together and, using a Sashiko water pattern I found in a book I own as inspiration, drew some flowing water lines and a few swirls. Then it was simply a matter of stitching on the lines! I say this somewhat tongue-in-cheek as I still had trouble with the curves…some aren’t quite the smooth curve I had envisioned. (I highly recommend some gloves to help you get a good grip on your quilt.) The only downside I ran into was pulling the Golden Threads paper off– I ended up with quite a few little bits of paper still stuck here and there that I had to use tweezers to pull off.

While not perfect, I’m still very pleased with the result—you have to start somewhere!